This weekend saw the RSPB Love Nature run their annual Big Garden Birdwatch, you spend an hour counting the different birds that come and go in your garden. You then log your result with the RSPB for them to compare and analyze. I have taken part in this survey for the last 5 years, each year crossing my fingers that some rare bird will use the chosen hour to fly down into my garden. Alas they didn't!
The weather on the Saturday of the birdwatch weekend was a wet and windy day in Shropshire and most of the birds stayed sheltered in the hedges. Come Sunday morning the sun made a brief appearance, and the weather generally was much improved on Saturday and the birds appeared. I made sure this year I had my camera with me to capture some of the birds as they came and went.
Blackbird
Big Garden Birdwatch Results 2018
Blackbirds 4 Blue Tit 2 Dunnock 2 Great Tit 1 House Sparrow 2 Wren 1 Long-tailed Tit 2 Magpie 2 Robin 3 Wood pigeon 4 Crows 2
Blue Tit
Robin in Apple Tree
I was pleased to see the little Wren made an appearance, although he was too quick for my camera, he is a usual visitor to the garden during the day. As are the Long-tailed Tits although there are usually four of them. Failing to stop by the garden at all during the last few days were the Coal Tit and Goldfinch.
Later in the day, fortunately whilst my camera was still nearby, my eye was caught by something moving near the greenhouse. A Weasel, darting about moving very quickly around the plant pots and then straight past the window and off into the hedge. If I did not have a photo for you I am sure you would never believe it. The little creature has been seen once before a few years ago, so to see it again today was a very pleasant surprise.
Weasel!!!
